Two at-large and two district City Council incumbents will attempt to stave off challengers in Saturday's runoff election.

In the At-Large 5 race, City Councilman Jack Christie is seeking his third term by touting his work to trim city employee health care expenses, build Houston's international trade relationships and support city-county partnerships

"I've just got the track record of getting things done collaboratively," said Christie, who ousted former Councilwoman Jolanda Jones in 2011. "I think people have seen that 'I get a straight answer from Jack and he's transparent and he doesn't lie to you.' "

Christie said the city's single greatest challenge is its looming $126 million budget deficit, a product of spiking debt payments, rising pension costs and a revenue cap that limits property tax collection to the combined rates of inflation and population growth. One step, Christie said, is equal across-the-board cuts in all city departments.

He also objects to district service funds that City Council has approved two years in a row, allotting each of the 11 district council members $1 million to spend on projects in their neighborhoods. His challenger is Sharon Moses, a Department of Solid Waste Management employee, whose job includes public education and outreach, previously served on former District D Councilwoman Ada Edwards' staff.

Rather than pushing any single policy initiative, Moses said her first priority in office would be to "clarify ordinances and make sure people understand them." She cited ReBuild Houston, the city's massive streets and drainage program, and the repealed equal rights ordinance as examples.

More broadly, Moses said she would work to bolster health department funding and support more transit options, including expansion of light rail and bus rapid transit.

Targeting growth

In the At-Large 2 race, first-term Councilman David Robinson, former president of the citywide Super Neighborhood Alliance, cites his work championing Houston's first-ever General Plan, a guiding document for the city's growth. He said he viewed his first term as "a lot of hard work and listening and keeping my head down and not necessarily talking a lot." That included attending every Capital Improvement Plan meeting last year, tracking the five-year document that allots billions to infrastructure and road improvements.

"Rather than a single triumph, I think that I've been present for a lot improvements around the edges in regulations and ordinances that relate to development," he said.

He is being challenged by Pastor Willie Davis, who played a vocal role in fighting the city's equal rights ordinance repealed by voters in November.

Davis said he got into the race to push the needs of Houston's black and Latino populations, which he said largely have been ignored.

"The main inspiration was that we need servant leadership in the city of Houston based on all of the problems that we're having in regards to the lack of equity," he said.

In particular, Davis said he would seek more affordable housing programs. He also pointed to the city's tax increment reinvestment zones, which funnel property tax dollars above a set level back into certain areas for public improvement, as part of Houston's broader inequality.

'Hands-on'

In southwest District J, bordered by the Westpark Toll Road, Southwest Freeway, Loop 610 West and Beltway 8, Councilman Mike Laster is seeking to defeat former Sharpstown Civic Association president Jim Bigham to secure a third term.

Laster said the race is about constituent services.

"When I say 'constituent services,' we don't say 'here, call that person,' " Laster said. "We advocate for the person's concern, anything from the mundane to the important. That's a hands-on city councilman."

He highlighted securing $20 million for improvements to three parks as a major accomplishment, along with completing the Bellaire Reconstruction Project. In his third term, Laster said he would work with neighborhoods to determine five and 10-year goals and reduce neighborhood blight.

Businessman Bigham objects to some of Laster's priorities and actions as District J's representative, but said he was not running on a specific issue. He said he thinks Laster has focused too much on infrastructure instead of economic development, and that his public safety initiatives have not been successful enough. Bigham disagrees with Laster on some policy issues but said the race largely is about challenging an incumbent, particularly after voters in November expanded terms of office from two to four years.

'Time to give back'

In District F, which stretches along Westpark Tollway toward the western part of the city, including portions of "Asia Town" and the Alief and Westchase neighborhoods, incumbent Richard Nguyen, currently finishing his first term after unseating incumbent Al Hoang, faces physician Steve Le.

Both men were born in Vietnam and left the war-torn country for the United States decades ago.

Nguyen served almost 10 years in the city's solid waste department before winning a seat on council. Le owns the Cleveland Family Care clinics in Cleveland.

Nguyen cited some of the projects that he has funded with his district service budget, including Alief ISD's after-school program and additional patrols in neighborhoods where panhandling is common, as highlights of his time in office.

Le said he understands the needs of the diverse residents in District F, many of whom are immigrants.

"I understand what it takes for them to get to that next level of their life, and how they can achieve the American dream like I have," Le said. "Because I've been there and I've done that. Now, for me, it's time for me to give back to the community."

Le said his top priority is to reduce crime in the district. He proposed better communication between law enforcement agencies to enable the closest officer or deputy to respond to a crime regardless of which agency receives the call.

Reporters Emma Hinchliffe and Fauzeya Rahman contributed to this story.